Baker Hughes introduces next-generation stimulation vessel

The Baker Hughes StimFORCE stimulation vessel features a unique modularized design.

As the growing fleet of oversized deepwater support vessels grabs most of the ink of late, Baker Hughes has expanded its Gulf of Mexico presence with the introduction of the 255-ft new-generation StimFORCE stimulation vessel.

Built by Bordelon Marine of Houma, La., the modularized StimFORCE features the shipbuilder’s distinctive Stingray 260 design, says Blake Warren, Gulf of Mexico district manager for Baker Hughes’ pressure pumping stimulation vessels. The DP Class 2 vessel received final ABS certification in early February, clearing the way for field assignments that include stimulation; fracturing and acidizing; and sand control applications, according to Baker Hughes.

The StimFORCE is equipped with five 15,000-psi triplex pumps with two flexible-steel umbilical lines that allow up to 35 bbl/min. pumping rates. The vessel was designed with a pumping capacity of 8,800 hp. “All of the high-pressure equipment is located on the aft of the vessel, so that during a job, the crew is not exposed to the high-pressure environment,” Warren said.

Owing to its modular design, the new vessel can be quickly modified to meet specific job requirements, he said. “For instance, when we are dealing with paraffin build-up in older fields, we have a flex tank capability up to 1,200 bbl, mid-ships, that can be used for solvent. If a job requires it, we can remove the solvent tanks and add more acid tanks. In other words, the flexibility of this vessel allows us to reconfigure to meet the customer’s requirements.”

Warren said the StimFORCE is designed with capacity for 350,000 lb of sand above deck and another 400,000 lb below deck. “Our larger deepwater (stimulation) vessels carry up to three million pounds, but shelf jobs typically do not require nearly as much sand as those in deep water,” he said.

According to Baker Hughes, the modularity of the StimFORCE design, with its operationally flexible pumping package, allows for “customized, on-demand pumping stimulation solutions” that, it says, reduce operator costs.

The StimFORCE is designed with a mix-on-the-fly fluid system, quality control laboratory, and remote data acquisition services using the proprietary EZTreat treatment control and JobMaster software packages, says Baker Hughes. The in-house JobMaster software acquires, processes, records, and displays pumping data in real time, ensuring critical real-time pumping information throughout the operation, the company says.